Divisive
Causing disagreement or hostility; tending to divide people into opposing camps.
adjectiveDivisive
Causing disagreement or hostility; tending to divide people into opposing camps.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a town hall on a controversial topic where a speaker's remarks spark sharp reactions, and the audience instantly splits into two opposing groups, each shouting from opposite sides of the room.
Sounds Like
dih-VY-siv
Looks Like
Looks like divide/division; shares the same root as those words.
Remember This
Divisive describes rhetoric or actions that estrange people or create factionalism. It is the opposite of unifying or inclusive.
Other Forms
Connect With
unify, polarize, partisan, sectarian, controversy
Note
Be careful not to confuse with divisible (capable of being divided) or division (the act or result of dividing); divisive describes causing division, not the mathematical process.
Study Deeper
- The divisive debate over immigration policy polarized the town.
- The candidate used divisive rhetoric that alienated moderate voters.
From Latin divisus (divided), past participle of dividere 'to divide', with the suffix -ive.
Divide visions: divisive describes something that divides people by presenting two opposing viewpoints.
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Placid
adjectiveCalm, peaceful, and not easily excited or upset; describes a tranquil demeanor or setting.
Flippant
adjectiveLacking proper seriousness or respect; treating important matters with a frivolous, glib attitude.
Deference
nounThe act of submitting to the opinions or wishes of another; respectful yielding.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Partisan
noun and adjectiveA strong, biased supporter of a party or cause; as an adjective, describing biased, one-sided allegiance to a party or faction.
Controversy
nounA disagreement, especially a public or heated one, about a particular issue.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.